I remember when I first began homeschooling. My daughter was seven years old and her little sister was three. Even though I had two children at the time, I found managing our homeschooling activities to be simple and everything worked smoothly; according to plan. Then I was blessed with another child, and another, and so on, and so forth! Finally, one day I looked around and realized that I was homeschooling four children and had two preschoolers in the home.
When dealing with a situation like this, you learn to be creative. One of the best tips available is that when you are working with older children, find something creative for the younger children to do. If you need to focus on something that needs a lot of attention, then save that activity for naptime. Make sure that the little ones have plenty of fun. The mistake is made when the little ones are “left out” of the picture. You should have plenty of activities on hand for your preschooler. Some of these include:
· Crayons
· Coloring books
· Play dough
· Finger paints (don’t leave them unattended with these)
· Edible dough (works great in high chairs)
· Pipe cleaners (depending on the age)
· Quiet toys to play with in play yards
The most important thing to realize is that accidents happen when mom is busy or inattentive to all of the needs that surround her. If you feel that you are wearing thin, then get a grip and make sure that the little ones are in a secured environment. It only takes a second for a little one to get into trouble or for a tragedy to occur. Homeschooling multiple ages can be very trying at times, and the key to your success is organization and planning. Having your preschoolers follow set schedules: such as naptime, playtime, and quiet time will not only let your homeschooling flow smoothly, but it will help keep your sanity as well.